NASA Appointee Fibs, Gets Booted

George C. Deutsch, a 24-year-old political appointee in NASA's public affairs office, quit yesterday after Texas A&M University confirmed that his claim to have graduated from the school was false, the New York Times reports. Several midlevel public affairs officers had told the Times that Deutsch and other political appointees tried to prevent James E. Hansen and other NASA scientists from sharing their views on the subject of global warming. Deutsch's pre-NASA experience? He served on President Bush's re-election campaign and inaugural committee.